Speaker of Israel's Knesset meets with top Czech politicians in Prague

The Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Amir Ohana, came to Prague on Thursday to discuss the current situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip with some of Czechia's top politicians, including the prime minister. Meanwhile, several activist groups, including the Jewish Voice of Solidarity, protested against Ohana's visit, saying in an open letter that by receiving the speaker of the Israeli parliament, the Czech state was expressing support for Israel's war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who met with Mr Ohana in the late afternoon, wrote on social media site X afterwards that they talked about the need to remove Hamas as the ruling force in Gaza. Mr Fiala expressed the opinion that peace could only be achieved without the presence of terrorists. The government office added that the pair also discussed defence and industry cooperation between their two countries.

The Speaker of the lower house Markéta Pekarová Adamová said after her morning meeting with Ohana that it was important to keep reminding people of what Hamas did last October because it seems people are starting to forget the "barbaric and brutal" origins of the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Speaker of the upper house Miloš Vystrčil, who met with Mr Ohana in the Senate in the early afternoon, said afterwards that assurances were given that Israel is doing everything possible to provide humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and that the country is complying with international law. When asked about some other countries' reservations regarding Israel's actions, Mr Vystrčil said they talked both about the fact that Czechia will continue supporting Israel and also, "as true friends", about what actions could potentially weaken that support. They also discussed Israel's plans in the Gaza Strip, but according to the house speaker, it is impossible to say how long it will take to find a way out of the conflict as the mood in the region is not conducive to finding a solution soon.

Ohana praised Czechia's unconditional support for Israel and said the country was standing "on the right side of history." He added that Czechia had shown what real friendship between countries looked like through its words and actions.